Strategic Management

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is an element of a firm's remote external environment?
A. Competition
B. Suppliers
C. Government agencies
D. Economic and social conditions

2. Which of the following is NOT a part of a firm's immediate external environment?

A. Technological development
B. Competitors
C. Suppliers
D. Government agencies

3. The immediate external environment includes:

A. Competitors
B. S. B. U. s
C. Divisions
D. Management

4. The _______ comprises economic and social conditions, political priorities and
technological developments, all of which must be anticipated, monitored, assessed and
incorporated into the executive's decision making.
A. Remote external environment
B. Task environment
C. Operating environment
D. Internal environment

5. The set of decisions and actions resulting in the formulation and implementation of plans
designed to achieve a company's objectives is defined as:
A. Strategic policy
B. Business policy
C. Strategic management
D. Tactics

6. Strategic management compromises nine critical tasks. Which of the following is NOT one
of the tasks?
A. Development of annual objectives compatible with grand strategies
B. Assessment of the company's external environment
C. Selection of a particular set of long-term objectives and grand strategies
D. Evaluate the success of the strategic process
7. Strategic management involves the _____, directing, _____ and controlling of a company's
strategy-related decisions and actions.
A. Financing; marketing
B. Planning; financing
C. Marketing; planning
D. Planning; organizing

8. Large-scale, future-oriented plans, for interacting with the competitive environment to

achieve company objectives refers to its
A. Strategy
B. Goals
C. Competitive analysis
D. Dynamic policies

9. A strategy is a company's
A. Game plan
B. Pricing policy
C. Value statement
D. Long-term objective

10. A _____is a company's game plan.

A. Strategy
B. Pricing policy
C. Value statement
D. Long-term objective

11. A(n) _____ reflects a company's awareness of how, when and where is should compete,
against whom it should compete and for what purpose it should compete.
A. Vision
B. Organizational structure
C. Strategy
D. Long-term objective
12. A(n) strategy reflects a company's awareness of how, when and where is should ____,
against whom it should _____ and for what purpose it should _____.
A. cooperate
B. ally
C. compete
D. plan

13. Strategic issues require which level of management decisions?

A. Operative
B. Top
C. Front-line
D. Middle

14. Strategic decisions ostensibly commit the firm for

A. 1-2 years
B. The short term
C. 3-4 years
D. A long time, typically five years

15. Strategic issues require large amounts of the company’s

A. strengths
B. opportunities
C. suppliers
D. resources

16. Some business decisions are strategic and therefore deserve strategic management
attention. Which of the following is one of the six strategic issue dimensions?
A. Requires front-line employee decisions
B. Is not likely to have a significant impact on long-term prosperity of the firm
C. Necessitates considering factors in the firm's external environment
D. Is spontaneous

17. Which of the following applies to strategic issues?

A. Consider only the firm's internal environment
B. Are future oriented
C. Concern allocation of insignificant amounts of company resources
D. Do not have long-term impact on the firm's prosperity
18. Strategic issues are ____ oriented.
A. future
B. present
C. past
D. timelessly

19. Strategic decisions are based on what managers _____, rather than on what they _____.
A. Forecast; know
B. React to; anticipate
C. Know; forecast
D. Compromise with; analyze

20. All businesses exist in a(n) _____ system.

A. open
B. closed
C. insular
D. protected

21. In a turbulent and competitive free enterprise environment, a firm will succeed only if it
takes a(n) ____ stance towards change.
A. Reactive
B. Anti-regulatory or anti-government
C. Proactive
D. Vision and not mission

22. General Electric is a multi-business company. It typically would have ____ levels of
strategy.
A. 5 or more
B. 4
C. 3
D. 2

23. Which level of strategy uses a portfolio approach?

A. Business
B. Operational
C. Corporate
D. Functional

24. Which level of strategy is in the middle of the decision-making hierarchy?

A. Corporate
B. Functional
C. Business
D. Strategic
25. Which level of strategy is at the bottom of the decision-making hierarchy?
A. Corporate
B. Business
C. Functional
D. Strategic

26. Which level of strategy is at the top of the decision-making hierarchy?

A. Functional
B. Business
C. Corporate
D. Operational

27. Typically how many strategic decision levels are in the corporate decision-making
hierarchy?
A. 5 or more
B. 4
C. 3
D. 2

28. To a large extent, attitudes at the corporate level reflect the concerns of
A. Stockholders and society at large
B. Top managers
C. The CEO
D. The federal government

29. The top of the decision-making hierarchy comprises all of these EXCEPT
A. Board of directors
B. Front-line managers
C. The CEO
D. Administrative officers
30. In a multi-business firm, ______ -level executives determine the businesses in which the
firm should be involved.
A. Business
B. Functional
C. Corporate
D. Operative

31. At Office Supply, Inc., ____ -level managers would be responsible for determining whether
the company should be involved in home furnishings or electronic appliance businesses, where
as ____ -level managers would be responsible for determining how the firm will compete in the
selected product-market arena.
A. Business; corporate
B. Corporate; functional
C. Functional; business
D. Corporate; business

32. In the middle of the decision-making hierarchy is the _____ level.

A. Corporate
B. Functional
C. Business
D. Strategic

33. Who determines the basis on which a company can compete in the selected product-market
arena?
A. Functional-level strategic managers
B. Corporate-level strategic managers
C. Business-level strategic managers
D. Operational managers supervising operative

34. Which of these managers tries to identify and secure the most profitable and promising
market segment?
A. Functional managers
B. Corporate managers
C. Business managers
D. Operative
35. The functional level of decision making is characterized by:
A. The board of directors deriving corporate goals
B. Managers of product, geographic and functional areas
C. The CEO developing a company profile
D. Business managers interpreting the mission into operational objectives

36. Which strategic level is typically responsible for developing annual objectives and
short-term strategies?
A. Functional level
B. Corporate level
C. Business level
D. Board of Directors level

37. Which of the following is NOT a level in the decision-making hierarchy of a firm?
A. Business
B. Corporate
C. Operative
D. Functional

38. Functional managers are typically responsible for which of the following?
A. Annual objectives
B. Tactics
C. Corporate goals
D. Mission

39. Whereas corporate and business-level managers center their attention on _____, managers
at functional-level center their attention on ____.
A. Operational issues; strategic issues
B. Doing things right; doing the right things
C. Entrepreneurial mode; adaptive mode
D. Doing the right things; doing things right

40. Decisions at which level of management tend to be more value-oriented and conceptual?
A. Functional
B. Corporate
C. Operative
D. Business

41. Dividend policies are decided at the

A. Corporate level
B. Business level
C. Functional level
D. Operational level
42. Which level of decisions encompasses greater risk, cost and profit potential?
A. Business
B. Lower echelon
C. Corporate
D. Functional

43. Corporate-level decisions are characterized by:

A. Decreased risk
B. Doing things right
C. Short-time horizons
D. Greater profit

44. Decisions concerning plant location, distribution channels, geographic coverage and market
segmentation are typically made at:
A. The corporate level
B. The business level
C. The functional level
D. The front-line operational level

45. The degree to which participation, responsibility, authority and discretion in

decision-making are specified is called:
A. Informality
B. Formality
C. Functional tactic
D. Dynamic mode

46. Which one of these forces DOES NOT determine how much formality is needed in strategic
management?
A. Size
B. Country of origin
C. Complexity of environment
D. Predominant management style

47. Which of these is usually positively correlated with the cost, comprehensiveness, accuracy
and success of planning?
A. Greater formality
B. Functional structure
C. Organizational matrix
D. Functional tactics
48. According to Henry Mintzberg, there are ____ modes based upon formality in strategic
management.
A. 4
B. 2
C. 5
D. 3

49. According to Henry Mintzberg, very large firms typically use the _____ mode of strategic
management.
A. Adaptive
B. Entrepreneurial
C. Informal
D. Planning

50. Henry Mintzberg identified a mode which he associates with medium-sized firms in
relatively stable environments. This is referred to as a(n) ____ mode.
A. Entrepreneurial
B. Adaptive
C. Business
D. Planning

51. Firms that are basically under the control of a single individual and produce a limited
number of products/services are referred to as following ______ mode.
A. Entrepreneurial
B. Intrapreneurial
C. Managerial
D. Corporate

52. The informal, intuitive and limited approach to strategic management associated with
owner-managers of smaller firm refers to the ____ mode of formality, according to Mintzberg.
A. Entrepreneurial
B. Functional
C. Planning
D. Adaptive

53. The planning mode refers to the

A. Strategic formality associated with the large firms that operate under a comprehensive,
formal planning system
B. Strategic formality associated with medium-sized firms that emphasize the incremental
modification of existing competitive approaches
C. Strategic formality associated with global firms that emphasize cultural value systems
D. Informal, intuitive and limited approach to strategic management with owner-manager of
smaller firms
54. According to Mintzberg, the adaptive mode refers to
A. Strategic formality associated with the large firms that operate under a comprehensive,
formal planning system
B. Strategic formality associated with medium-sized firms that emphasize the incremental
modification of existing competitive approaches
C. Strategic formality associated with global firms that emphasize cultural value systems
D. Informal, intuitive and limited approach to strategic management with owner-manager of
smaller firms

55. Which of these is NOT a mode of formality identified by Mintzberg?

A. Adaptive
B. Planning
C. Functional
D. Entrepreneurial

56. The ideal strategic management team includes decision makers from
A. All three company levels (corporate, business and functional)
B. Just the functional level since they are closest to the customers
C. Just the corporate and business levels given that they focus on doing the right thing
D. Just the top management since they understand the big picture

57. Managers at the _____ level typically have principal responsibilities for developing
environmental analysis and forecasting, establishing business objectives and developing
business plans prepared by staff groups.
A. Corporate
B. Functional
C. Operational
D. Business

58. When the dominance of the CEO approaches autocracy, the effectiveness of the form's
strategic planning and management processes are likely to:
A. Enhance strategic planning but diminish its processes
B. Be greatly enhanced
C. Have no effect
D. Be diminished

59. Which of these is NOT true about the behavioral effect of strategic management?
A. Strategy formulation activities enhance the firm's ability to prevent problems
B. Resistance to change is reduced
C. Gaps and overlaps in activities among individuals and groups are increased to ensure the
checks and balance
D. The employee involvement is strategy formulation improves their understanding of the
productivity reward relationship in every strategy plan
60. The behavioral consequences of strategic management are similar to those of
A. authoritative decision making B. centralized
decision making
C. autocratic decision making
D. participative decision making

61. Which of the following is a major function of the strategic management model?
A. It helps make profits for the firm
B. It helps in identifying key issues faced by the firm
C. It helps in deciding which products to sell
D. It depicts the sequence and relationships of the major components of the strategic
management process
62. Social responsibility is a critical consideration for a company's strategic decision makers
since
A. Stockholders demand it
B. The mission statement must express how the company intends to contribute to the societies
that sustain it
C. It increases a company's profits
D. It helps make decisions

63. Analysis of the quantity and quality of the company's financial, human and physical
resources is a part of
A. Internal analysis
B. Mission statement
C. External environment analysis
D. Corporate goals

64. The external environment consists of:

A. The operating environment
B. Managers
C. Employees
D. Owners

65. Which one of the following is NOT an interactive segment of a firm's external
environment?
A. Functional
B. Remote
C. Industry
D. Operating

66. Description of the company's product, market and technological areas of emphasis is
contained in the
A. Assessment of the external environment
B. Company profile
C. Company mission
D. Interactive opportunity analysis

67. The results that an organization seeks over a multiyear period are its
A. Generic strategies
B. Grand strategies
C. Mission statements
D. Long-term objectives
68. The doubling of EPS within 5 years with increases in each intervening year is called a(n):
A. Long-term goal
B. Long-term objective
C. Short-term goal
D. Short-term objective

69. The difference between long-term and short-term objectives is principally:

A. Greater attainability
B. Greater flexibility
C. Greater measurability
D. Greater specificity

70. Grand strategies include:

A. Market turnaround
B. Vertical diversification
C. Conglomerate integration
D. Concentric diversification

71. Which of the following is an example of a grand strategy?

A. Decentralization
B. Policy making
C. Conglomerate integration
D. Innovation

72. Long-term objectives are principally attained through:

A. Annual goals
B. Functional strategies
C. Short-term goals
D. Grand strategy

73. The minimum equity position required for all new McDonald's franchises is an example of:
A. A goal
B. A procedure
C. A policy
D. An objective

74. The general plan of major actions through which a firm intends to achieve is long-term
objectives is called its:
A. Corporate plan
B. Long-term goal
C. Grand strategy
D. Mission
75. Broad, precedent-setting decisions that guide or substitute for repetitive or time-sensitive
managerial decision making are called
A. Goals
B. Strategies
C. Objectives
D. Policies

76. Which of the following is a generic strategy option?

A. Narrow margins
B. Diversification
C. Differentiation
D. Retrenchment

77. Horizontal integration is an example of a

A. Generic strategy
B. Grand strategy
C. Functional level strategy
D. SBU strategy

78. Specific actions that need to be undertaken to achieve short-term objectives, usually by
functional areas, refers to
A. Policies
B. Formality
C. Tactics
D. Process

79. Which of these refers to short-term, narrow scoped plans that detail "means" or activities
that a company will use to achieve short-term projects?
A. Policies
B. Formality
C. Vision
D. Functional tactics

80. _____ is a critical stage in strategy implementation wherein managers attempt to recast their
organization.
A. Continuous improvement
B. Reengineering
C. Strategic control
D. Strategy formulation
81. _____ is concerned with tracking a strategy as it is being implemented, detecting problems
or changes in its underlying premises and making necessary adjustments.
A. Restructuring strategy
B. Strategic control
C. Internal analysis
D. Functional tactics

82. Which of these is a form of strategic control in which managers are encouraged to be
proactive in improving all operations of the firm?
A. Continuous improvement
B. Adaptive mode
C. Functional tactics
D. Planning mode

83. A flow of information through interrelated stages of analysis toward achievement of an aim
is:
A. A process
B. A procedure
C. A policy
D. A system

84. Influential individuals and groups that are vitally interested in the actions of the business are
called
A. Stockholders
B. Stakeholders
C. Strategists
D. Customers

85. Strategic formulation and implementation of a plan are:

A. Sequential
B. Simultaneous
C. Random
D. Reversible

86. Strategic management processes need which of the following to enhance future decision
making?
A. Testing
B. Feedback
C. Discontinuity
D. Projecting
87. The strategy management process is:
A. Stationary
B. Dynamic
C. Static
D. Radical

Essay Questions
88. Define strategic management. Identify any five of the nine critical tasks of strategic
management?
Please refer to discussion on "The Nature and Value of Strategic Management" on page 3.

89. Strategic issues have several key dimensions. Briefly describe any four of them?
Please refer to the discussion on "Dimensions of Strategic Decisions" on pages 4-6.

90. Describe the three levels of strategy in an organization. Provide an example of each?
Please refer to the discussion on "Three levels of Strategy" on pages 6-7.

91. With regards to the levels of strategy, compare and contrast single-business firms versus
multiple-business firms?
Please refer to Exhibit 1.4 on page 7.

92. How do the characteristics of strategic management decisions vary with the level of
strategic activity considered?
Please refer to the discussion in the section titled “Characteristics of Strategic Management
Decisions” on pages 7-8.

93. What is meant by “formality” in strategic management? What forces determine how much
formality is needed in strategic management?
Please refer to the discussion in the section “Formality in Strategic Management” on page 8.

94. Describe the three different modes of formality, according to Mintzberg?

Please refer to discussion on "Formality in Strategic Management" on pages 8-9.
95. Who are the strategy makers in an organization?
Please refer to the discussion in the section titled “The Strategy Makers” on pages 9-10.

96. Discuss the benefits of strategic management?

Please refer to the discussion on "Benefits of Strategic Management" on page 10.

97. Define and briefly describe any five components of the strategic management model?
Please refer to the discussion on "Components of the Strategic management Model" on pages
11-15.
98. Differentiate between generic and grand strategies?
Please refer to the discussion on "Generic and Grand Strategies" on pages 12-13.

99. Define strategic control. Give an example of strategic control from a managerial
perspective?
Please refer to the discussion on "Strategic Control and Continuous Improvement" on page 15.

100. What implications can be drawn from viewing strategic management as a process?
Explain?
Please refer to the discussion on "Strategic Management as a Process" on page 15-16.